Electric floor scrubber



March 6, 1928.

Filed July 28. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l n f J 8 ,d W a 4 6 m n 3 J 7 o 7x5 e -L w/ W f 7 I I. l MJ 2 2 1 4, m4. l e a 6 .bb/ 1.. M un 7 w 2 2 I 3 2 c. DEPTULA ELECTRIC FLOOR SCRUBBER Filed July 28. 1924 March 6, 1928.

Planea Mu; s, 192s.

`CARL DEPTULA, OF NEW BRITAIN; CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OI' ONE-HALI'TO ALBERT TEBEBA, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT. l

ELECTRIC FLOOR SCRUBBER.

Application led July 28, 1924. Serial Io. 728,634.

My invention relates to improvements in electric floor scrubbers, in the form of a machine that is adapted to be moved over the floor by hand, having a. frame 1n -which 5 a scrubbing brush is mounted for limited `movement, means for supplying cleansing water, means, involving a pump, for removing dirty water, and an electric-motor for Y operating the moving parts of the mechamsm, and the object of my improvement 1s to roduce a device that is relatively simple and) reliable, such as to be adapted for household use. d

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 `is a side elevation pf my 1mproved electric floor scrubber, being 1n part broken away and showing portlons of the interior structure in section.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same. Figure 3 is an end view of the same. Figure 4 is a bottom view of the same. Figure 5 is a planview with the cover and the water tank for clean water removed.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the water tank removed from the frame.

Figure 7 is a sectional View on the line 7--7 of Fig. 2.

Figure 8 is a fragmentar sectional view on an enlarged scale on t e line 8-8 of i Fig. 4,showing the details of the rubber v wiperA structure.

Figure 9 isa sectionalview through the hollow standard and the tank delivery tube. My improved electric floor scrubber comi prises a frame 10 that is supported by a setof relatively small lwheels 11 so that the bottom face or edge 12 will be close to the floor 13.

' Said frame l0 is closed at the sides by the i `side walls 14.; at the front end by the front wall 15; and at the rear by the rear wall 16,

y said walls constituting a box-like structure. Thevrear portion only of the frame 1() is closed at the bottom, having a bottom wall i5 17, and there is provideda removable cover 18 for the top, said cover beingI of plate` like form and shaped tov correspond to the form of the top edge portion of the frame 10, said frame belng of moderate depth at the front and of increasing depthl towards` the back to provide for housing the various devices to be described.

In the front portion 19 of the frame 10 is operatively housed the scrubbing-brush 20 i that has the bristles 21 in contact Vwith the iioor 13. A

A handle 22 projects rearwardly from the 'frame 10.

Mounted at the rear end portion of the Y.

frame V10 is a pump 23 for dirty Water, a suction pipe 24 leading therefrom forwardly underneath the bottomwall 17 and a delivery pipe projecting rearwardly therefrom. A tank 26 supported by means of a bracket-.framey 27 collects the dirty water.

The pump V23 is preferably of the rotary form, having a cylindrical housing 28. As shown, said housing 28 is at the middle and has laterally projecting extensions 29 of tubular form on the two sides. The outer ends of said extension 29 are mounted ink brackets 30 that are supported from the frame 10.

The moving element of the pump 23 is` operatively supported by means of `a pair of laterally directed shafts 3l that are housed in the tubular pump-casing kextensions 29 and that extend outwardly beyond the same so as to support the belt pulleys 32 that are driven bythe belts`33.

The shaft 340i' the electric motor 35 extends laterally through the side Walls 14 andthe `projecting ends carry the driving pulleys 36 that drive the belts 33. y

The bottom wall 17 is rounded or crowned upwardly substantially fromend to end so as to provide betweenthesame Vand thefioor 13 a relatively large open space 37 for the accumulation ofrdirty water back of thef brush 20. The major portion of said space 37 is boxed in at the sides and rearby means of a collecting wall structure kthat is designated as a whole by the character 38 and the apex portion 40, where under conditions of use there would be the maximum of accumulated dirty water. The inlet or mouth of the suction pipe 24 for the dirty water is located adjacent the apex portion 40, at the front thereof, said pipe 24 passing,r through the collecting:Y wall structure 38.

For contacting with the floor 13 the collectingr wall structure 38 is provided with a contacting piece or wiper 41 of rubber and the parts are constructed and arranged so that said wiper 41,is, held in resilient cngagement with the floor under conditions of use and notwithstendingA such uneveuness as majv exist in the floor. involving more or less of relative upward and downward movement of the `general structure of the flo0rscrubber.

The wiper41 is made of a strip of rubber and the manner of supporting the same. as shown.l comprises the use of two generally similar U-shaped structures of sheet metal, one thereof. 42, serving as a holder or clamp and gripping the rubber and the other, 43, serving as a. housingr for the holder 4L and having the top wall or roof 44 spaced from said holder 4Q. A plurality of screws distributed along the length of the structure serve as means for holdingr the parts together generally and springs provide for re siliency. The screws 45 are entered from below upwardly through the holder-clamp 42 and the housing 43 and into the frame 10 and the springs 46 are mounted on the portions of the screws that are intermediate the parts 42 and 43.

The motor shaft 34 extends transversely across the interior of t-he rear portion 47 of the frame 10 and the motor 35 is positioned at about the middle thereof. Incorporated in the structure of the motor shaft 34 and positioned adjacent the side walls 14 on each side is a crank 48 that is operatively connected by means of a forwardly extending connecting-rod 49 with a slide or sliding frame structure 5() that is given a reciprocating;r movement responsive to operation of the motor. The connections with the slide 50 are made with rearward extensions thereof in the form of rods 51. the latter passing through suitable openings in a partition 52 that extends transversely across the frame 10 and separates the rear portion 47 of said frame from the front portion 19 thereof. The connecting rods 49 are connected both to a single rocking;r cross-piece 75 and the latter is pivoted by its ends 7G in suitable bearings 77 that are provided in the extension rod portions 51 of the sliding: frame. structure 50.

Slideways 53 are provided at the sides for the slide 50 and the latter serves as a carriage or carrier for the brush 20.

The brush 20 is of rectangular form, the longer dimension thereof being directed transversely of the axis of the frame. As in the case of the wiper 41. the brush Q9 and the supporting structure therefor are con structed and arranged so as to ensure contact with the floor under conditions of use, notwithstanding such undulations of the, `reneral structure as may 'follow from the unevenness ot' the tioor.

In the structure shown the brush i2() is provided with a body or back 54 that is held in place generally by means ol' a set of screws 55 that engage with a plate-like bridge 56 on the slide .3() and springs; 5G mounted on said screws 55 serve to tend t0 depress the brush towards the lloor.

rllhe devices so `lar descrilied provide for movements of the brush and for the removal of dirty water.

Means for supplyingr fresh cleansing water will now he described.

The interior of the rear portion i7 of the frame 10 is virtually divided into a bottom part 47Il in which is housed the motor 35 and adjacent parts and the upper part 47h. and said upper part 47" is virtually lilled by the fresh or cleansing water tank 57, the latter heine shaped to tit within the space immediately below the cover 1S.

The tank 57 is supported on inclined shelves or ridges 5S that extend along thc inner faces of the side walls 14.

A centrally positioned delivery conductor 59 extends forwardly from the tank 57, u

through the partition 52, and projects over the major portion of the brush-operating space in the forward portion 19, said conductor 59 being provided with a shut-olf cock 60.

Said shut-eti cock G0 has a stem 70 that extends through the cover 18 so as to be accessible from above the scrubber structure.

The tank 57 has a filler-boss 71 that projects upwardly through the cover 18 and that has an opening that is closed by means of a cap 72.

Mounted on the brush-supporting plate or bridge 56 is a hollow standard 61 that opens at its lower end so as to connect with a set of distributing channels 62 for feeding the water to the different parts of the brush 20.

The upper end portion G3 of said standard G1 is in the form of an elongated sleeve and in the same is operatively housed the tank delivery tube 59. Intermediate said sleeve 63 and the tubular neck portion G4 of the standard 61 is a` fan-shaped connecting piece 65 and the interior of the latter is in registration with an outlet opening 66 in the water delivery tube 59. Thus means are provided for feeding water to the brush at all times and in all positions thereof relatively to the frame 10.

In the construction shown and described the operative connections with the motor are of duplex form; In some cases and as to the main driving features, a single operative connection would suffice.

In the'case ofthe brush, however, a duplex connection is of advantage due to the laterally elongated Vform of the structure thereof in that such a. forni of construction tends to prevent binding and cramping in the' slideways for the brush.

I claim as my invention 1. In a floor scrubber, a body divided into two compartments by a transverse yvertical partition provided with openings adjacent its lower edge, one ot' said compartments being open at the bottom, a frame supporting a brush and mounted for to and fro sliding movement in a horizontal plane in said last mentioned compartment, a motor housed in the other of said compartments, said frame having extensions projecting through the openings in said partition, and driving connections intermediate said motor and extensions. c l y 2. In a Hoor scrubber, a body divided by a transverse vertical partition into a front and a rear compartment, a brush structure slidably mounted in said front compartment and extending through an opening provided in the bottom of said front compartment, a motor located in the lower portion of said rear compartment and connected to said brush structure, a Water tank and means for supplying water from said tank to lsaid brush struct-ure, said tank substantially till ing the ortion of said rear compartment that is a ove said motor.

3. In a floor scrubber, a body, devices housed in said body comprising a brush structure extending through an opening provided in the bottom of said body, driving means Vfor said brush structure, and a water supply structure, a cover extending over said body and generally covering said devices, said water supply structure having a cock that is provided with astem and having a filler-boss, and said stem and said boss projecting through openings in said cover.

4. In a floor scrubber, a `traine` having thev under side spaced from .the floor, a. wiper support carried by said under side and being channel shaped in cross-section, a wiper member telescoping in said channel and making contact with the floor, and a set of connecting devices intermediate vsaid support and member each having individual spring means for projecting said member towards the floor.

5. In a floor scrubber, a frame, a tank supported by said frame, a brusli-carrier supported by said frame, a delivery tube extending horizontally from said tank and projecting above said carrier, a hollow standard extending upwardly from said carrier and provided with a sleeve that encloses said tube and is slidably Vengaged therewith, and said tube having an opening that registers with the opening in said standard for delivering Water to said brushcarrier, a brush being supported by said carrier. f

CARL DEPTULA. 

